Jorge De La Rosa wears a 4-inch zipper on his left elbow. The scar is a daily reminder of the reconstructive, career-salvaging surgery he underwent in early June 2011.Twenty months later, De La Rosa says the elbow is completely healed. "Perfect, no pain" is how he phrased it.What remains to be seen is how the 31-year-old overcomes the mental scars that come with Tommy John surgery. The test begins Tuesday when the Rockies hold their first official workout of spring training."When I got this injury, everything changed a little bit in my mind," De La Rosa said Monday. "I got a little bit scared to throw the ball, to be honest. Yeah, I was scared to throw anything, but especially breaking balls. Any pitch I threw, I didn't feel comfortable."But De La Rosa says he's in a good place now and ready to help anchor a rotation in desperate need of stability. He lived in Scottsdale during the offseason and followed a strict throwing program to build up arm strength. In November, he had his "aha moment.""I threw, like normal, with no pain," he said. "I was able to throw my breaking ball. It had been a long time since I threw without pain. It was nice."De La Rosa's importance can't be underestimated. He's in the final year of a three-year $32.5 million contract and will make $11 million this season — the highest salary on the team. He is considered a key to rebuilding the worst rotation in Rockies history. Last season, starters posted a 5.81 ERA, including a 6.70 mark at Coors Field."There isn't any way of getting around the fact that it's been a little while since he's been out there and dealing," first-time manager Walt Weiss said. "We all know the type of arm he has. It's electric stuff. But the fact is, he hasn't been out there a lot in the year and a half. There's going to be a period to get him back on track. We are really counting on him to be a top-of-the-rotation guy."

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